The Damned Enchained
by Fifth
Summary: Seven years after TLoU, Ellie discovers a runaway slave in the woods of Jackson. She learns of a society on the West Coast that has been taken over by remnants of a certain revolutionary faction. Against Joel's wishes, she and a friend embark with a caravan to free these people, but the journey could destroy their trust, as she draws closer to the truth about her immunity.
1. The Straggler

_**T**he **D**amned **E**nchained_

By Fifth

Disclaimer: I don't own anything by the Dogs of Naughtiness except for my own characters.

**A/N -** I've been meaning to write this fanfiction for some time. You know, it's interesting. As I get older, sitting down to write something has become more of a luxury than a pleasure. The magic in creating a story-life concentrated-out of thin air has lost its charm, and I attribute that to changes I've endured in my early college years. And now I find myself with more time once again, but with different stresses pulling me out of focus. Writing is my attempt to regain that focus. Coming back to this habit has been rough, but those little rushes of complete serenity are still there, if faint.

I loved this game. In my experience as a game enthusiast, I've always wanted to see a game that could uphold the storytelling principles seen in TV and screenplays. The Last of Us was that game, if imperfect in many other respects. It was, in my opinion, better than all the post-apocalyptic stuff that came out that year, followed only by Telltale's The Walking Dead.

This story is a sequel. It's going to be Ellie-and-company centric and not going to focus on Joel as much. I was inspired by that concept art of TLoU 2 drawn by Marek Okon: a somber picture of an older Ellie, strumming a guitar with armored soldiers closing in through the mist. This story is part discovery. As you read, you're discovering the characters as I discover them. Also, I'm reflecting on some of the deeper lessons I learned in college as an isolated kid who had to face disillusionment with society. I want to take on writing full-time and this is going to be practice.

People often say that their passions slip away as life goes forward. I'm going to adhere to a piece of advice given to Ellie by her friend, and first love: _We fight for every second we get to spend with each other_. It goes for passions as well as people. And I'm here to fight for my passions.

Anyway, enough boring you with my soliloquizing. Take a gander at this tale, and let me show you what a sequel could look like.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Straggler**

* * *

_"It's not enough just to get by."_

_\- Connor_

* * *

**The Woods, Jackson**

The arrow flew right through the can and into the tree, nudging itself between breaks in the bark.

"Ooh yeah! Right on point. Look at that!" she exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. "Right in that swishy circle."

Connor had his arms crossed, but she could tell he was squinting at the target, his mouth curved upwards as to be impressed. The arrowhead ripped a hole right into the Pepsi logo. From thirty yards it wasn't too bad.

"Is that you denying your surprise?" Ellie asked. "Or are you just having trouble seeing that target from this far away?"

"Yep, this is me getting my ass handed to me by a girl," he nodded. "I'm still processing it."

"Well, now we know if there are any runners about, it'll be me saving you."

He rolled his eyes as they began walking towards the soda can. Birds could be heard echoing their chirps through the forest, cutting through the background static caused by the nearby river. It was always eerily quiet in the forest. Ellie used to romanticize it all but after spending several years walking the area outside her home in Jackson, she concluded that nature could be a bitch sometimes. Couldn't always predict when something bad would turn up, and nature wasn't the type to grant any favors.

"Fine with me. I've always wanted to be rescued by a dashing hero," Connor told her, his gaze lightly hovering on her. "I guess a cute little tomboy will have to do."

She shoved him. "Who are you calling tomboy? I do girlie stuff too."

He chuckled. "Do you?"

"Yeah. Name some girlie stuff. I probably do it."

"You gossip."

Ellie gasped and shoved him again. "I do not. That's so typical. And fucking sexist, by the way."

"You certainly enjoy talking it up, though."

They came closer to the tree stump that the can had been sitting on.

He snapped, coming up with a different answer. "You dance."

"Yeah, sure. You've never seen me dance."

Images of Riley flashed through her head. It was a memory she hadn't recalled in awhile. The thought seemed so far away, like a bad dream from a different life. She supposed that's what happened to people when things changed. The things you remember don't quite have the same potency as they used to. But she never forgot, and that was all that mattered. Ellie was living for many others whose lives were trimmed too soon.

"Ah, key word—never seen. You secretly dance when you're bored. You don't think you're good enough yet so you do it in front of the mirror."

"Wrong…"

Ellie went up to the massive tree trunk that had fallen over, yanking the arrow that had been buried into the musty, dry wood.

"…I dance in the living room when Joel isn't home," she corrected. "It is you who dances in front of the mirror."

He shook his head. "Wrong."

She removed the rusty can they'd found by the side of the road and examined the practice arrowhead, making sure it hadn't been ruined. They began walking back to their horses, nestled in the shade and out of sight. Nightfall was but a few hours away, judging by the orange rays penetrating the trees and the thinness of the air. It was getting colder.

"I used to dance in front of the mirror."

"Is this one of those 'back in the Commonwealth' things?" she asked.

Connor's mouth went sideways. "Ah, yeah. The Commonwealth."

There was a pause in their rhythm. She understood too well that there are some things that people couldn't speak about.

"Oh," was all she could muster in the moment.

Ellie hadn't known Connor very long. Apparently, he had been on the outer skirts of the Jackson settlement for about a year now. The town had grown from twenty families to nearly a hundred as communities were established and districts were drawn. He moved here with his younger cousin from California. Since he had been a scavenger back home, it made sense to join up with the rangers, who patrolled the woodlands and the national park territories. This particular quarter had been nice since they were paired together. He was entertaining to be around, to say the least. And he was pretty handsome at that.

"I suppose you vaguely pass for a girlie girl," he said, changing the subject.

"Yeah?"

They were going to pack up and continue waiting for the rangers-in-training, who were off running drills with Carlton, one of the older guys. Connor's cousin was in that group.

"The rest is easy. You brush your hair, put on makeup better than most girls I've met, wear clothes that are body-conscious…"

It wasn't really the most romantic thing ever said, but she was exhausted of the whole tomboy shtick that stuck with her ever since people found out she ran with Joel. Ellie wasn't used to being hit on by guys, not since military school. It seemed different somehow. Maybe because she was older? She played along just fine, but really, she didn't know how to properly react.

"And the rest of it is in the step."

"The step?"

"You walk like everyone's watching you, but you're the only one there."

How was she honestly supposed to react to that?

"You make me sound like a rampant narcissist."

She looked at him and saw the gleam in his eyes, but the moment was cut short.

"Ahoy!"

The husky, booming voice came from across the dirt road, accompanied by light chatter that was enough to disturb clickers from a hundred yards away. Thankfully, the ground here was well trodden and they weren't doing any serious work today. Ellie brushed away some of her hair and greeted Carlton with a wave.

"Back already?" Connor shouted to Carlton, checking his watch. "Thought you weren't done beating these young'uns into shape!"

"Ah, so young, and so strongly shaped by the wretched uncivilized beasts who came before you," Carlton said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Violence initiated is violence deferred, young Padawan."

"Pada-what? Is that something you use for your boat?" Connor asked.

"That's a paddle," Ellie said.

"That's it. I'm fucking offended."

They both shared a laugh. As the rest of the rangers came together, Carlton removed his hat and took some time to stretch. He was a lot like a company commander, and had lived in Jackson since the beginning; a middle-aged, hearty man with a contagious laugh and enough patience to soften the most stubborn of folk. There was a hidden wisdom in his ways somewhere that Ellie had trouble deciphering. Maybe it was because he was just old and it seemed like he was wiser than most people she knew.

"You two are as deprived as can be," the older man said.

She took a look at the recruits. "Lot of hiking today, huh?"

They were mostly young, the youngest being sixteen and the oldest being around twenty-two, just around her age (it was Connor's cousin). Joel selected them to lead the recruits alongside the older folk. Something about leading them and bonding and whatnot—the Joelisms escaped her at the moment. He was a completely different man than whom she originally came to know. The man she knew now might have been Sarah's father, the one who drew compassion from his bonds, able to love openly from his heart. He was probably going over some of the construction plans back at the house with Rachel, his wife.

"Tired, guys?"

The majority of them nodded.

"So when we gonna head home? I'm cold as a motherfucker," Reid said, shivering in his jacket.

"Ah, please folks! The best part is here," Carlton said. "We're going to be wrapping this up with some target practice."

He then glanced at his watch.

"Now, if only Renard would get his ass back in time, he could show you guys how to shoot."

Ellie looked at Connor.

"Your cousin is a shooter, too? Why didn't you say so?"

He grunted impatiently. "Where the hell is this guy? I told him not to screw around. Of all days, too. For fucks sakes."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You should've seen me back in my day. I was the biggest screw-arounder."

"Mmm," he murmured off-handedly.

Ellie wondered why, since it was uncharacteristic of Connor to be so openly stressed out at the thought of his cousin being alone on his own. The kid was around the same age as her, too, so why would it be so bad for him to be alone? She didn't want to ask since it would be a little too intrusive for her tastes.

The students took a break and rested for a minute, but that minute soon turned into five, which turned into ten. The air was getting cold and the sun had nearly gone past the trees. Some of them were firing at makeshift targets, going on ahead without Connor's cousin. It pained her to watch Carlton slowly turn from nervous to worried.

But after the fifteenth minute passed, a faint sound of crunching branches brought together everyone's attention. Through the brush emerged a young man, relatively average in stature with a stockier build than the rest. Renard Silva was certainly built to be a soldier, but hardly moved like one. Instead, he moved with grace, barely making any sound as he approached them with five dead creatures in tow: two rabbits, a squirrel, and two pheasants.

"Pheasants!" Ellie nearly shouted, excited. Anything rare harvested from a hunt was exciting. Better than the usual, at least.

Renard gave her a muted smirk as he came up to his group, handing over the animals.

"Oh, there you are, young master," Carlton greeted. "Hey, I was starting to think you were eaten by bears or something, kid."

"Glad to disappoint you," he shrugged. "This is for everyone else. Sorry I took so long."

One of the girls, Priscilla, squatted down to inspect the animals. "Wow…you hunted all these by yourself?"

"Damn, that's awesome, dude!" Reid chimed in.

He then glanced over to Connor, who had already approached him while Ellie fawned over his harvest.

"Where the hell have you been, Ren?" Connor asked.

Renard blinked. He pinged the vibes off the group, feeling their reactions to the pointed question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why did you break off from the group? You could have seriously been hurt."

"But I'm not."

It only made Connor angrier. "That's not the point, man. I promised to look out for you. You don't have any experience outside those walls, so I expect you to have a little common sense and not be a complete idiot."

Ellie tilted her head a bit. Dude looked like he was doing just fine for some kid who apparently has never been outside before. She could relate.

"Connor…"

"Hold on, Ellie," he waved a hand at her. "Look, all it takes is just one fuckup, and you're done, alright?"

Renard's eyebrows furrowed as he stared off elsewhere, divorcing his emotions from the situation. His lips trembled in a flash of anger and he nodded at Carlton.

"Enjoy it," he said, referring to the hunt. "I'm going back home."

"W-wait. We're still going to camp out here. You don't want to learn how to start a fire or anything?" the ranger leader asked. "We're also going to cook these."

He shook his head. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Ren, don't be stupid," Connor said. "It's getting dark soon."

No reply. The hunter turned around and walked off. The group was silent. Ellie glared at Connor with expectation, somewhat annoyed with the fact that he seemed to be surprised with his own behavior. Kind of reminded her of Joel's overprotectiveness. However, it wasn't going to help if Renard was just going to get lost.

"What's wrong with that guy? Oversensitive or something?" Reid muttered.

* * *

They'd been following him for more than forty minutes now.

Connor was quick to regret his actions. That was so stupid, he thought to himself. Why on earth did Renard wander off like that? If his cousin hadn't done that then he wouldn't have gone into a fit like that. As Connor moved along the path in the woods with Ellie at his side, flashlights beaming through the trees, he thought about their decision to leave the Commonwealth, as well as the promise he'd made to Renard's mom after she died. Renard was all the family he had left in this world.

"It's okay," Ellie said. "You got angry. He'll get over it."

He'd forgotten that she was still traveling with him. The chatter between them had halted for five minutes now, a brief interlude that seemed an eternity. Connor quickly composed himself.

"Oh, yeah. I know. He's…"

They continued down the dark path.

"He's just different."

Ellie looked down at her feet. "Why?"

"Things work differently in the Commonwealth," Connor said. "He lived a sheltered life."

He didn't want to tell her too much. It was a place he would have rather just left behind in the past. That was the way Connor preferred to go about his life. It was the sole reason why they were able to leave.

"What's it like?" she asked.

Connor sighed and shook his head. "It's a terrible place. I thought I knew a lot about it, but I really don't."

They were approaching a fork in the road, signifying that they'd been walking for a couple of miles. Even though they were armed, it was still highly dangerous for them to walk in the night like this. Looking up at the sky, he could still see faded remnants of sunlight sloped to the west. It was about to be pitch black soon.

"All you need to know about it is that it's a really shitty place, ran by shitty people. That's why we left."

"I lived in Boston," Ellie said.

"I heard about places like that," he acknowledged. "Must have been hard."

He could see that she was in the middle of dwelling on a painful memory. "It was. But you do what you have to to survive."

"I don't believe that. If you wanted to survive, you'd still be living on government rations. It's not enough just to get by."

Those words hung in the air for a lengthy beat.

"He's probably back in town by now," Ellie said.

But before Connor could respond, she gasped.

"Hey, look."

She pointed her flashlight to the side of the path and noted small tracks. They could have easily been mistaken for deer, but upon closer inspection, it was far more shocking than that.

"What…?'

It was about six, eight inches long. A human foot, the size of a child's. Ellie's eyes widened with surprise.

"Tracks."

"They're fresh," she replied. "There's a kid wandering around here."

The thought sent chills down his spine. "Could be infected."

Ellie was a bit taken aback by the remark.

"We gotta follow them."

"But what about Ren?"

She took a moment to think about it. "I think he'll be okay. He's heading back into town."

"Ellie, what if these tracks turn up nothing?"

Their flashlights highlighted the long, solitary tracks that continued down the right path among the several other tracks left behind by older folk. In truth, Renard could have gone anywhere, but the town was in the opposite direction of where the child's tracks were going.

"There's a kid out there, Connor."

"I don't want you going out there and finding out that this kid is infected."

She seemed undeterred, which was awfully strange. Was this girl really foolish enough to risk being infected for this lead that could end up being cold?

"Then _come with me_," she suggested. They were better off together anyway.

Connor took a long breath.

_"Fuck._ Alright. Let's go, but we're going to find Renard after this, okay?"

Ellie nodded. "I swear."

As they took a seemingly fateful left turn, he reached into his backpack for his ranger-issued pistol, an old 9mm handgun that chambered fifteen rounds. The thing was so old he wasn't even sure it fired correctly anymore. Connor preferred revolvers though, just because they wouldn't jam, but this was better than nothing.

"You think the kid's from town?"

She shook her head, readying her pistol as well. "Not sure. The tracks just appear from the woods, from the west, too."

"Great. Two fools wandering on their own in the darkest shit ever with no clear direction where they're going."

"You talking about them or us?" she asked jokingly.

Connor cracked a smirk.

"See? It's better to smile isn't it? Now stop being such a Private Pessimistic and let's move faster."

"Right away, sir."

After following the tracks for a few minutes, Connor noticed a secondary, more pronounced trail that seemed to curve from one side of the road to the other. It was evident that two of the footprints eventually converged, one adult and one child. He held an arm out to halt Ellie for a second.

"See that?"

She bent over and inspected the footprint. "Recent."

He noticed the freshness of the print, the way it crushed the damp pine needles and bark, and tried to pinpoint a time. Was it an hour ago? Forty minutes? Connor looked up ahead, following the direction of the tracks as they disappeared into the forest. He noticed something flickering from between the trees.

"Lights off," he said, clicking off his flashlight.

Ellie was still fixated on the prints. He nudged her.

"Look."

She flipped the switch on her light hanging from her shoulder strap and peered into the direction he was pointing at. The light was concealed between the tree trunks, but those reflections were unmistakable. A campfire. It was going to be close to impossible to get there without startling anyone. They kept their footsteps firmly planted as they stalked the campsite, weapons gripped in their palms. The light grew more intense as they snuck past the trees. A soft chill tickled the back of Connor's neck. His breathing slowed, nearly stopped.

The campfire was too large. If anyone were trying to keep warm without alerting nearby travelers, they were failing at doing so. He noticed a small figure with its back turned, sitting down on a broken stump holding hands out to the flames.

They looked at each other. Ellie's eyes questioned whether they should approach or not, but Connor had already decided. He was wrong. This was a survivor, stranded out in the wilderness, vulnerable to the elements and infected. Whatever hunch she'd had earlier was justified.

He stood up and turned on his light, his foot crushing some dead pinecones that had fallen from the trees. The boy turned around and faced the blinding light that suddenly appeared, stunting his movement entirely. His eyes were wide and petrified, his skin dark and oily, with not much more than a t-shirt and shorts to help him brave the cold night. He was awfully skinny, a baby fawn lost in the dark woods.

"Hold it, kid," Connor assuaged. "We're not going to hurt you."

Ellie was surprised by his riskiness. She flipped on her light, as well, and stepped out into the opening with him. No tents, no bed sheets.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

The boy's breath hastened, cortisol flushing his system. Fight or flight. He looked too malnourished for the former. It didn't look like the kid was going to talk anytime soon.

Before they could act, a small rock knocked against one of the trees to their left, causing all of them to startle. Connor aimed his gun into the shadows while Ellie tried to get her light fixated on the culprit. This had completely worked against them, however, since they'd fallen into a cheap trap.

A pistol hammer clicked from the left and a familiar voice commanded, "Don't move."

Connor's spine froze solid. He held both his hands in the air, his pistol hanging from his finger and resting in his palm. Ellie followed suit after cursing herself.

They expected him to force them to drop their guns, but were only met with genuine surprise.

"Connor? What are you guys doing out here?"

The both of them turned to face their prowler.

"Did you follow me?" Renard asked, putting his gun away.

Ellie scoffed and put her hands down. "Holy fuck. Don't scare us like that!"

"You guys just about made me shit my pants too."

Connor thanked the stars and put his gun back into its holster. "Where did you get that gun?"

His cousin looked down at the rusty semiauto and nodded in the direction of the emaciated child. "He had it."

"The safety's on, you know."

"I…I knew it was you," Renard replied self-consciously, unclicking the safety. "I'm glad you're okay too."

Ellie chuckled at his last statement, face-saving as it was. "What are you guys doing out here? I thought you were back in town already."

His cousin shrugged as they closed in on the campfire. "I came this way and noticed some tracks. Kind of reminded me of looking for blacktail back home."

Renard slung his bow off his shoulder and grasped for a small Ziploc bag full of berries in one of his jacket pockets. He must have been scavenging for a bit.

"Do you have any food?" he asked them, kneeling down to meet the child eye-to-eye. "The only thing I could've shot, I spooked."

He handed the boy the bag and patted him on the head. The kid was shy, but seemed to trust him enough. Ellie joined them and searched her backpack for any food she may have had on her. Connor circled around to the other side of the campfire and observed the child. There was something that rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was the way the child's hair was frizzled, like it had just been left to grow.

"I've got some protein rations," he told his cousin. "But we should get back and find out what happened to this kid."

"Not after he's eaten."

"It's getting dark," he told them, taking out some chocolate protein bars that were made back in town. "Where is he from?"

No answer.

"Hey, kid," Connor persisted, provoking a glare from his younger cousin. "Where did you come from?"

He looked at the child's wrist and noticed a faded tattoo.

"Connor, can we just…"

"Let me see that kid's wrist," he suddenly demanded.

Ellie found a half-eaten bar in her pack, but was surprised by the sudden questioning. "What's going on?"

"Check the back of his head."

Connor stood up and walked over to the kid, shoving his cousin aside just slightly. The boy was panicked and struggled a bit, but was too weak to resist Connor's strength.

"Hey—come on," Renard protested.

He flipped the straggler's wrists over and spotted a sheep symbol tattooed just below his left palm.

"Ellie, is there a tattoo on the back of his head?" he asked.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Is there a tattoo or not?"

She gently pressed her hands up against the back of the kid's head, smoothing her fingers through his unkempt hair. There seemed to be markings that had been faded out.

"What does this mean?" she asked.

"Where are you from?" he asked the boy.

The boy was frozen in place, his shoulders high and tight.

"I'm not going to hurt you, kid. Where did you come from?"

The boy gestured to him with his hand, signaling for his ear. Connor obliged him and leaned in to listen.

_The Gilded Valley._

He nearly jolted back.

"What did he say?" Ellie asked.

The Gilded Valley was what the privileged like to call it—that area just above San Francisco, where the capitol of California used to be. It was a place of golden hills, right next to the woods where Connor grew up.

"He's from the Commonwealth. He's a slave," Renard answered, revealing that he had already known beforehand.

"He's…a _what?"_

Connor patted the kid on the shoulder and stood up, sighing to himself.

"We need to get back into town. This kid didn't travel alone," he said, handing his protein bars over to the kid, who was shy to accept them.

Ellie seemed confused. "So there are others?"

He nodded. "If they made it this far out here, they can't be far. But it's too dark."

"Do you think they were followed?" Renard posited innocently.

A flash of concern suddenly appeared on Ellie's face.

"The fuck does that mean?"

"We need to see Tommy and Maria," he said, giving his cousin the cue to pack up. Renard agreed and began putting his things away.

Ellie was still a bit lost, but Connor didn't have time to explain at the moment. They'd have to search in the morning. He wondered just how the people of the town would take this news. No one liked having this kind of situation dumped onto their lap.

"Okay. They should still be up by the time we get back to camp," she said. "Come on, kid. Let's go."

She offered a hand to the survivor, who was already devouring the protein bars they had given to him. He mumbled something indistinct, prompting her to lean in closer.

"What did you say?"

"Don't let them take me," the kid silently pleaded. "Don't let them."

* * *

**A/N -** Did you enjoy that? Haha. I've got a couple of special things planned for this story that I haven't tried in any other story I've written before. It's been a long time since I actually sat down to pen something, so some things may not flow as well.

I'm working on the second chapter this very moment. If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review! A writer is not nearly as driven by anything else but recognition and feedback. Drop a comment, anything. If you have guesses and questions, I have replies. Thanks again, and see you next time.


	2. Flesh Quarry

**Chapter 2: Flesh Quarry**

**A/N - **This chapter is hasty. I've been working on a way to get the story to move at a breakneck pace while still keeping enough room for characters to breathe. This is still only part of the opening section, but rather than bore you with long descriptions, I decided to spin a lot of crazy threads instead. Originally, I was going to have the opening be three gigantic chapters, but I decided to pare them into smaller, bite-sized chunks so the premise of the story can sink in more effectively. I'll be focusing on character through action, rather than just character through description. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_"It's not every day you get to play a hero."_

_\- Ellie_

* * *

**Jackson Settlement**

Lights were still on when they got back into town. Ellie checked the watch dangling from her wrist—a birthday gift from Joel that he'd found while scavenging an abandoned mall last spring. It was ten o'clock. The watchmen positioned at the gate gave them no trouble since they knew who Ellie's "father" was. Now if only she'd had Joel with her back in military school.

The boy was still wide-eyed and curious, his eyes darting between the lit buildings and streetlights, still uncertain of his fate yet caught in wonder of the town's existence. She held his hand and smiled upon catching his careful glance. There was still serenity in a child's presence, faint as it was, despite the savagery and starvation and cruelty of the world outside. It wasn't until she had gotten older that she began to understand what Joel meant by finding something to fight for. People took things for granted, but children didn't. They were a stern reminder that there was still wonder to be had.

They stopped in front of Tommy and Maria's property, a modest home with a white picket fence, a meticulously tended garden, and some absurdly adorable gnomes. God, Ellie wanted to steal them so bad. There was still light from the inside that penetrated through the windows, dancing shadows against the blinds indicating that no one was sleeping yet.

Connor looked over his shoulder to Renard.

"Waaaiiit heeere," Renard droned, mocking Connor's intonations. "I heard you twenty minutes ago."

He rolled his eyes with a wry smirk. "Ellie?"

"Can't wait to see the kind of circus this'll create," she replied, taking off her backpack and carrying it in-hand, then turning to the child. "Can you go with Renard for a little while?"

The boy looked at the hunter, still uncertain as to whom to trust. Renard sighed and brushed the kid's shoulder.

"Come on, kid. I'll teach you the alphabet or something."

Connor watched his cousin lead the child to a nearby bench. The smirk hadn't left him. Despite the drama earlier, Ellie felt like she was starting to get how these two ran together. It reminded her of Henry and Sam.

"So did you have a stroke on the way back? Because I've _never_ seen you smile that long before," Ellie noted.

He seemed to blush somewhat, brushing his hair to the side. It was actually cute. "I don't think he's uttered half as many words to anyone in this town since we moved here."

They walked up the steps to the house and placed their bags on the patio. Ellie knocked on the door, which granted them a peaceful silence while they waited. She found herself arching her head somewhat as if she had something to say, but ultimately couldn't summon the words. Connor caught her in the act and turned his face to meet hers. He didn't say anything. She peeked at him just a bit and gave him the most awkward grin, to which he didn't react. Kind of assholey of him to just stare at her without saying anything, she thought to herself.

The locks on the door sluggishly came undone. When the door creaked ajar, a small head with a pair of piercing blue eyes poked out to see them.

"Hey there, Clarissa!" Ellie greeted, bent over with a wide grin. Tommy and Maria's daughter, six years old.

"Ellieeee!" the child jumped, swinging the door wide open.

They shared a brief embrace.

"Ah—okay. Can't hug too much, babe. I'm dirty from hiking," she told her, fixing her dirty blonde hair, still wet from having recently showered.

"Are you looking for mommy?"

"Yeah. Is your dad home too?"

"No. He's out with Uncle Joel I think," the little girl said, playing with the fringes of her pajamas.

A voice echoed from inside.

"Is that Ellie?"

"Yeeeaaahh," Clarissa said.

Maria emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands with a towel. She approached her daughter and caressed her cheeks, squatting down to meet her at eye level.

"Now what did we say about opening doors?" she asked.

Clarissa's eyes flickered. An acknowledgement of reproach.

"_Oh_," the girl remembered. "Sorry, mommy. I forgot."

"What do we do?"

"_We ask who it is first_," they said together, Maria nodding proudly.

Connor looked at Ellie, who tilted her head with adoration.

"Okay, good job, baby. Now go to bed. I'll tuck you in after I talk to Ellie, alright?" she said, kissing her child on the cheek.

Clarissa scuttled off into the hallway leading to her room and left them alone. Maria suddenly reverted back to the usual solemn, commanding demeanor she was known for, with just a touch of easiness to alleviate the tension of her guests. The aura surrounding her was aged and mysterious, paired with a straight-talking attitude that embodied her charisma. Ellie was a bit intimidated. Tommy always had a thing for these types of women, Joel told her once.

"Come in, you two."

"Uh…we're pretty grimy," Ellie responded.

Maria nudged her head towards the kitchen, her eyes bright and aware. "Come on in."

"Okay," Ellie promptly obliged.

They reluctantly took off their boots and stepped inside the living room, a warm, earthy abode with pictures lined on every lectern—which weren't even available in the town until a few years ago when someone finally had enough printing material and ink to create a photo service. Ellie read once in an anthropology book that the most cherished objects in burned down homes in the past were photographs. After all she and Tommy had gone through, it wasn't surprising to see this place plastered with them.

Maria handed them glass bottles of water upon entering the kitchen area, kept cold in the refrigerator. Ellie nearly chugged all of hers. She was thirstier than she thought.

"Hello there," she welcomed Connor. "I don't think we've met."

"This is Connor. He's my ranger partner this quarter."

He shook her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Have you?"

"Actually, _no_. I don't know why I said that," Connor chuckled. "Guess I'm nervous."

Ellie smacked her lips at another sip. "He's really nervous."

"I'm just a little bit nervous," he shrugged. "It's not everyday I get to meet one of the people who started this whole town."

Maria laughed and grabbed a bottle for herself. "I'm flattered."

"I _also_ heard that you were the one who made that hydroelectric dam start with your bare hands."

Her eyes set upon Ellie. "Those sound like _your_ words, you gossiper."

"See? I _told you_," Connor said, vindicated in his much-earlier statements.

Ellie nearly spat out her water.

"You dickwad! You're supposed to be on _my_ side."

She lightly shoved him and they all shared a laugh, allowing things to ease up a bit, but the true topic of discussion still hung over their heads. Maria had already suspected it the moment they came in, but was letting them get comfortable before speaking on it.

"Maria," Ellie started, her face turning fervent, "we ran into a bit of trouble out on the hike with the Junior Team."

The blonde's eyes tightened, her head tilted, and her posture erected straight. "What?"

"We found some kid out on the hike. He's like…ten years old or something and I think he's some sort of straggler or something, too…"

Connor butted in, noticing that her words came up short in describing what he knew. "We found a runaway slave in the woods."

"A slave?"

She was surprised, but didn't seem as shocked as Ellie would expect. Perhaps she'd encountered something like this long before they met.

"He had a sheep tattoo on his wrist. You can check. He's from the Commonwealth," he said. "My home."

Those last words hung in the air like a revelation, almost an admission of guilt. Ellie examined Maria's expressions like a coroner, paying attention to all the subtleties in her mood. There was visible confusion, suspicion, and uncertainty, though the town leader veiled them with her confidence.

"The Commonwealth is your home," Maria reiterated, crossing her arms. It wasn't a mark of suspicion; she threw it out there to see how Connor would respond.

"We escaped from the Commonwealth sixteen months ago. My cousin and I," he replied. "I…_we_…endured nearly seven years of tyranny in that hell hole. A city of trade turned city of slaves."

His answer invoked sympathy. Maria's face softened.

"We lost too much in those years and left behind much more," he continued. Ellie's heart skipped at the latter half of his statement. "We just wanted a chance to live."

Uncrossing her arms, she drew a long breath, deep into her gut – but before she got to say anything, the door unlocked. Multiple figures entered mid-conversation, disrupting whatever moment they'd had to reflect on this issue.

"…_told you_ it was the three-quarter inch. You just about punched a goddamn hole in Westin's barn door," a gruff voice reverberated in a thick southern accent.

"That 'three-quarter' ain't gonna save you next round of football we get," another voice said back. A woman with them giggled.

The three entered the kitchen area: Joel, Tommy, and Rachel, back from having overseen the repair of one of the local farmer's barns. Ellie's eyes brightened at seeing her only father and uncle, two men who had been through too much. She was also pleased to see Rachel, who had come far along, the bulge in her stomach now the size of a volleyball. Joel married a good, handy woman who had a thirst for excitement in the day, but tenderness in the night. They met a couple of years back.

"_Heeey_, baby girl," Joel said to Ellie, pecking her on the head as they came in. "Back already?"

"Hey guys," Maria responded flatly, fingers tapping the counter.

Connor had scooted back and stood behind Ellie, somewhat excluding himself as if waiting for a better time to talk about what they'd found. Tommy walked up to his wife and planted a kiss on her lips.

"I'm starved," Tommy said, heading to the fridge. "Anything good?"

Maria cleared her throat as he swung the door open, a gesture sharp enough that anyone who knew her understood. He looked over his shoulder and closed the fridge.

"Oh, right. Where're my manners?"

He held out a hand to Connor, looking him dead in the eye.

"Tommy."

Connor shook his hand. "Connor."

He then introduced Joel and Rachel, whom also received him kindly.

"We got something to talk about," his wife said.

And the light mood evaporated. Everyone stood silent.

* * *

"That kid gonna be okay?" Joel asked, standing on his porch, hands on his waist.

Ellie waved to Connor, who was hurrying to get back to his place and pack up for tomorrow. They had decided to round up the militia and go for a scouting run in the morning, combing for survivors. Connor explained that the child could have been part of a larger group, and that they may have fled the Commonwealth in droves. With the survival of the others on her mind, Ellie would have trouble sleeping tonight. It was a little disturbing to have danger lurking behind her neck once again, but she believed in this place. New lives could start here, slave or not.

"He's got nowhere else."

"It's cold out. Why don't you bring him in, sweetie?" Rachel called from inside the house.

Joel looked across the street and noticed someone.

"Isn't that the other guy you came with?" he asked Ellie.

Ellie let the boy inside, still not knowing his name since he wasn't willing to talk. She peered over her shoulder and spotted Renard still sitting at that bench under the streetlight. He hasn't gone home yet?

"Hey, I'll be inside in a minute, Joel," she said to him.

"Alright, well…don't take too long."

He shut the screen door and went back inside to help Rachel with the little boy. Ellie fiddled with her fingers somewhat anxiously, unsure of what to say. She walked down the steps of her home and traversed the road, shuffling her feet towards Renard, who had vanished into his thoughts.

"Hey."

His eyes tracked her. Most would act surprised and force their optimism, but he didn't seem to put up any fronts.

"Early day tomorrow."

He looked down at his lap. "Can't sleep."

"Because of today?"

Renard chuckled. "Can't sleep in general."

Pretty ballsy to divulge his feelings like that, she thought. Ellie didn't want to pry, and instead stopped playing with her fingers, clearing her throat. She held out her hand.

"We weren't properly introduced," she said. "Ellie."

"Renard."

He shook her hand, observing it curiously.

"You got an archer's grip there," he remarked. "Spend a lot of time with the bow?"

She nodded with a proud smirk as she lowered herself to the seat next to him.

"Yep. Started shooting, like, seven years ago and never looked back. I noticed your kills earlier. You're pretty good."

"It was luck."

"Luck must _love_ you then because I don't cross more than a couple of animals when I go out these days," she said. "Unless there's a _secret_ you're not telling me…"

He smiled modestly. "Everything you need to know can be figured out by paying attention."

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied, hand caressing forearm.

He was a lot harder to figure out than he originally let on. Perhaps Connor had created a false impression of his cousin, since Ellie thought that he was just the normal depressed survivor who just needed some time to sort things out. There was a rawness to the way he said everything. His presence was a little unnerving, to say the least.

"So…that kid today," she mentioned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

His mouth twitched slightly.

"It sounds like _you_ do."

"But you don't?" she retorted pretty annoyingly.

Renard smiled, as if amused by the way she was behaving. "Look, it's not a complicated thing. I moved because of the slaves. And the lies."

He hadn't been present while Tommy, Joel, and Maria discussed what to do about the slave child, but it was a good guess to assume that Connor had updated them on everything. That part about lies, though, wasn't discussed. Ellie wasn't too aware of it, but it struck a nerve in her heart, her breast literally rising as he mentioned it. He seemed to notice, too, but didn't say anything.  
"What lies?" she asked.

"Sometimes you figure things out for yourself that others have been hiding from you," he answered cryptically. "It never really leaves you over the years. You kind of bury it because you know you can't accept it."

He nearly droned like a robot. It was detached, egoless, the way he spoke about it. Ellie had flashes of memories from years past.

"And even when you try to confront the truth, they'll tell you that they did it out of love and that you should get over it."

"…yeah."

"They're right. The world doesn't turn because of you," he said rather bitterly.

Was it Connor he was talking about? She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words could come out.

"Do you wanna know why?"

Ellie tilted her head. "Why?"

He scoffed disgustedly, flipping his demeanor around. "Because of _gravity_. Christ, you're not the brightest bulb, aren't you?"

Her jaw dropped. Renard stared right into her eyes, gauging her reaction, then laughed straight from his belly, which caused Ellie, both bewildered and shocked, to follow suit.

"You're kind of an asshole."

"As long as I'm not a _real_ asshole then I can live with that," he jested. "I'm a fan of dumb jokes."

"Oh, you _shit_. Just wait," Ellie said. "I'm going to top that one of these days."

He stood up and grabbed his pack, hanging it over his shoulder.

"_I don't know_…I'll believe it when I hear it," Renard muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Ellie got up, too, ready to head back to her house. "It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah."

Renard scratched the back of his head, somewhat unsure of how to end their conversation.

"I'll, uh…see you tomorrow, I guess."

"It's going to be fun searching for them," Ellie said with a wave, walking back across the street. "It's not every day you get to play a hero."

* * *

**The Woods, Jackson**

It was seven o'clock when Tommy gathered his militia and rangers out on the trail. Search parties had been grouped into teams of eight to twelve, and they planned to search the area where the child had last seen his people before they split off. It was frustrating to work on such low-information—the child wasn't one for talking much—but Connor was determined to find the rest of escaped slaves and figure out what had instigated their departure from the Commonwealth. He chose to group with Ellie, Renard, and Carlton, who had called off ranger training for the day, much to the relief of the young, tired recruits who stumbled back into town exhausted from yesterday's hiking. Joel, Ellie's father (he was still unsure of this), definitely gave him the stink eye upon making this decision, but she told him off well enough to get him off the hook. Connor definitely didn't want to cross him, though. Guy looked like he could slaughter an entire clan of marauders if he wanted to.

"You give that radio to Carlton. We're gonna stay in contact 'till noon, got it?" Joel told Ellie, bending over from his horse to hand her the walkie-talkie. He then looked at the ranger captain. "You keep an eye on 'em now, boss man. Them kids love to get in trouble."

"Don't worry Joel-san. I'll keep them in check."

Carlton was such a nerd.

He adjusted the brim of his cowboy hat. "Be on 'em like a clicker."

Ellie handed the radio to Carlton. "Clickers are blind, you know."

Connor let out one breath of laughter, which instigated Joel's wolf-like glare, shutting off any more joking at his expense. He might as well have been shot at that very moment.

"Something funny to you, boy?"

She looked at him and was holding back, contorting her mouth as to not show how close she was to bursting out laughing.

"I…"

"I can't even hear you. Speak up, son!"

Connor hung his head with a sigh. "_Ahhhh_ I'm on the shit list now, aren't I?"

Ellie's father scoffed and spurred the horse, making it rush to catch up with Tommy and the others, who were discussing search patterns. She patted him on the shoulder as they prepared to move out.

"You're too funny."

He shook his head ironically. "One of these days I'm going to stop shaving, and when my beard grows bigger than Joel's, he's going to have to watch his unreasonably masculine back."

She chuckled. "I actually think he likes you."

He could have sworn he heard Joel and Tommy laughing from far away.

"Yeah, about as much as an alpha wolf likes being challenged by a…" Renard said, appearing from behind after having taken a leak, "…more retarded-looking beta wolf."

His cousin was always a bit prickish when it came to comparing their physiques, being shorter, but packing more muscularity. Connor was taller and lanky, more built for endurance while Renard had always been more of a sprinter and strength athlete. They both had good physiques from having lived outside of the city while in the Commonwealth, compared to the others in the city who lived in closer confines. He took the jabs in stride. At least he wasn't a chubby little hobbit when he was a child.

Ellie stepped in with much urgency. "It takes one to know one!"

"Ouch. Shots fucking fired," Renard remarked, placing a hand on his chest. "You gotta be snappier with the comebacks, bro."

"Since when the hell did you two become best buddies?"

She only returned a self-satisfied smirk, clearly still relishing in the timeliness of her joke.

"_Days_ ago," his cousin replied.

Connor rolled his eyes.

"Alright, you guys," Carlton said, map in his hands. "Kitowski and his team are taking the left side. We're going to take the south road here and try to meet up with them at this halfway point, past the waterfall."

He gestured out to Connor.

"Anything interesting we should keep an eye out for? You're familiar with these people, right?"

"Umm…the kid said that there were a lot of them. I'm guessing footprints, evidence of campfires. They're not skilled survivors, so it's easy to know where they've been if we just track the waste," he retorted.

"How the hell do you know that?" Ellie asked.

The group leader neatly folded the map and tucked it away in his jacket pocket. He swung the rifle hanging off his shoulder and loaded the magazine. "Okay then, that settles it. Remember kids; this is outside the safe zone. We're keeping a narrow spread. Stick together. Could be infected out there, too. You never know."

* * *

Nearly two hours had expired with noon fast approaching. The sun was high enough now that it permeated the gaps between the trees, light shafts cutting through dust to reveal the enigmatic forest that surrounded them. Connor looked at his watch then at Ellie, whose shoulders slumped over. Boredom.

"Not as exciting as you'd hoped?"

She stood straight, playing it off. There was a blade in her hand that she'd been messing around with. "This backpack is _heavy_."

Renard was to his left kicking branches as he marched, consumed in his thoughts as usual. It was easy to give up so early. At a young age, Connor learned about the short attention spans of young people, though he wasn't complaining because he'd heard about how kids used to live back in the old world, bombarded by technology and information and distraction. In the Commonwealth, the oldest folk painted a horrid picture of the past, but then again these old people were often the ones who complained the most when it came to rationing supplies. He had a theory that humans were so adaptive, they could find something to bitch about even if they were living in caves. And, among these people, there were others who were willing to suck it up and find solutions. And that's how civilization began. He came up with this while high with his buddies one night—the night before he left with Renard.

"Earth to Connor," Ellie whined, suddenly three feet away from him. "What are you smiling about?"

His attention snapped. "Oh. It's dumb. Forget it."

"So I've got a question. About the Commonwealth."

"Of course you do," he sighed.

Ellie nodded. "Mm-hmm. So, let's say we find these people. What's in it for you?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Oh, come on. I wasn't the only one who saw that face of yours," she mentioned. "Like, '_Oh, check that arm_,' all serious and shit."

"Yeah, and I was pretty handsome while under pressure like that, wasn't I?"

Ellie giggled, but it was quickly swept aside. "Come on."

"I was scared that there could be others out there."

Her bullshit detector was on point. "Uh-huh. You fucking shit, you can't pass that one by me."

They hopped over a tree trunk. His ears caught the white noise of rushing water, meaning that they were drawing close to the meetup point. Connor poked his head up and looked around, but a tug at his arm pulled him back. Ellie was persistent today. Curious people were often annoying that way, but she was cute enough that he could forgive it.

"Hey," she insisted, halting him. "Talk to me."

Carlton called to them from far up ahead, signaling that he'd heard the rushing waters as well. Connor waved to let him know that they'd catch up, sitting down on the trunk with Ellie. She was pretty serious about the question, but he couldn't put his finger on the reason.

"You're a lot nosier than the other girls around here," he said rather pointedly, as to draw out her insecurities by comparison.

It pricked her mood like a needle, yet she was willing to qualify herself. "Maybe because I actually give a fuck."

"Not too brushed up on your manners, though," he continued.

"Yeah, tell that to your mom."

"You're actually not that cute when you're pouty. I liked you better when we were just ranger partners."

Last straw. He could see it in her face.

"You…you fucking asshole," she remarked. She looked at him incredulously, like she was speaking to a completely different person. Ellie scoffed and swore to herself as she turned around and continued on without him.

Great. He'd done it now. Connor realized that he'd have to come up with ways to patch it up with her later. For the time being, he was more relieved that this discussion was kept at bay. He thought about where these questions would have come from while trailing from behind. By the time they both disappeared over the next hill, he remembered that both she and Renard had gotten acquainted with each other at some point.

Did Renard tell her that he used to be a slaver?

He peered into the thick wood with a growing sense of dread. Ten minutes flew by as he ran his head through the possible scenarios, fists tightened. Shit. He had to catch up.

* * *

"Hey," Ellie hollered.

Renard had been resting on a rock, head leaned against an old tree, yawning. Apparently, he didn't get much sleep after all.

"Where's Carlton?" she asked.

"I thought he was with you guys."

Ellie glanced at her surroundings. No one in sight. She then tried to listen attentively, but the waterfall seemed to drown everything out. They must have gotten separated at the other hill. Renard had a protein bar in his hand, munching on it thoughtfully. He handed it to Ellie.

"Can't finish it."

She took it and helped herself. "We should get moving. He's probably pissed at us."

"We'll do it once you learn to chew with your mouth closed," he poked. It lifted her mood just a bit. "Why are you here, anyway? Weren't you with Connor?"

"Uh, yeah. He got lazy," she claimed. "And we were wondering where you ended up."

"He likes you, you know."

Wow. Just throw it out in the air like that, huh?

"I got the feeling."

"He expresses it in a jackassy fashion. Don't let it get to you," Renard said. Was he reading her behavior?

He got off his ass and threw his backpack on, gesturing with his head that they should continue moving. They clambered up the hill with heavy breaths, the hike taxing their endurance. When they got to the top, he was chuckling to himself, prompting Ellie to inquire.

"What?"

"I don't know if I should say."

Hands on her hips. "I'm not even going to ask."

"Good," Renard nodded. "Because I don't think you're the type to have an eye for…you know…"

She squinted, head tilted, scowling. "…what?"

He shrugged. "You're not like the other girls, is all I'm saying."

He was going there, wasn't he? She couldn't believe he hooked her into asking.

"Don't fret, I think it's adorable," he said, almost patronizingly. "I mean, it's been a long goddamn minute since Connor's taken a liking to a woman. He's still hurt over leaving his last girlfriend back in the 'Wealth."

Ellie snarled. "You don't know me."

"No," he smiled contentedly. "I only know what you put out. And, you know…it's going to suck when he realizes that…you don't. For guys, I mean."

"This day," she started with her eyes shut, rubbing her temples, "is getting too suffocating with all these dickheads around."

Renard placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry. I still think it's adorable. I know, it doesn't really sound like I mean it, but…"

She raised her head to look at him.

"It matters to him. Because you're real."

Those last words stuck to her like glue.

"Come on," he said. "We gotta find Carlton before he decides to abandon us and makes your father come out here to track us down. Then we might as well be grilled chicken."

She groaned. "Ugh, you're making me hungry for chicken now."

The two hiked down the small incline and noticed a sizable pathway of trodden branches and pine needles. The tracks went up over that hill, but also sloped down to the small gorge below, concealed by thick brush. Renard held out a hand to signal a stop, observing the tracks before they moved any further.

"Could be deer," she said.

"If deer traveled in packs of thirty."

"Now you're making me hungry for deer."

"You started it."

Ellie knelt down next to him.

"Hey."

He turned his head curiously.

"What did you mean by the lies last night?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Ellie blinked.

"I was raised outside of the Commonwealth. I didn't know what they were doing to people inside. If I'd known about what they were doing with the slaves and all, I'd have probably left a long time ago."

She nodded. "Oh."

"I wasn't told much about what was going on," he revealed. "Makes a man a little nutty on the inside."

Ellie rested her chin on her knee. "Evidently."

Renard brushed some fallen needles off his shoulder and stood up. "I think these are actual tracks. We should call the others."

"Yep," she said, standing up as well. "Connor's following us, too. He shouldn't take long."

"Damn right," a voice spoke from behind.

They both turned to the top of the hill and saw Connor standing with his arms crossed. His eyes appeared glazed over for some reason, fixed on them like a predator. Ellie prepared herself for some negativity, seeing as their last conversation ended quite sourly.

"There you are," Renard replied. "We just found these. You should come take a look."

Ellie noticed Renard's physiological response. Shoulders tensed, knees bent, and eyes flared. Something awful was looming. His older cousin trudged down the hill clenching his fists.

"What were you guys talking about?"

"The tracks," Ellie answered, trying to nudge herself in between them. "I think these are human."

Connor looked at her. "Are you sure that's it?"

"What's your problem?" Renard asked emphatically. "Got another stick up your ass about me?"

He could read his cousin's body language from a mile away. This train wasn't going to stop. It had already taken off, reached full speed, and was ready to derail at any moment. Connor pointed his index and middle finger and shoved them into his cousin's collar.

"What did you tell her yesterday, Ren?"

He stumbled back with a grunt, not willing to answer so easily. "Guess."

"Oh, I'd be much happier making you tell me."

Ellie pressed a hand on Connor's chest. "Okay, that's enough, guys! What the fuck is going on with you two?"

He ignored her and lightly shoved her aside.

"Oh. I know what this is about," Renard said. "You don't know just how afraid you should be right now, do you?"

She was lost, caught in the confrontation. The search had gone horribly wrong.

"_You_…" Connor said, shaking his head, "you fucking told her, didn't you?"

Renard laughed, wiping his chin. "Lies have a funny way of coming out, don't they?"

That was it.

Connor dashed towards his cousin with an ape-like grunt, tackling his midsection and driving both of them to the ground. Fists flew in the air as they wrestled, sliding down the hill, sinew on sinew, blood on blood.

"Shit! You fucking idiots!" Ellie screamed. "Stop!"

He mounted his cousin and gripped his throat. "I ought to cut out that tongue of yours, you snake fuck."

"Is that my cousin telling me this, or the slave master?" Renard replied with a muffled cackle, his nose trickling blood down the side of his face.

Connor began raising a fist, ready to teach his cousin a lesson, but at the very end of the arc, Ellie yanked his arm back and he lost all momentum. He fell backwards onto the ground, leaving Renard room to squeeze out of his hold. The former slaver wasn't satisfied. He tried going for another tackle, but Renard dodged out of the way and redirected it downhill. His cousin didn't get away clean, though, as he was dragged along the way.

They fell past the steep point and into the thick brush, disappearing, gravity dragging them down the hill, and out of Ellie's line of sight. There was nothing left but undulating branches and lingering dust.

"Goddamn it," she cried, cursing herself.

* * *

They rolled a good twenty feet before dropping, landing on something soft that broke their fall. A splashing sound. A small pond. Connor lied on his back for a good few seconds, his ears ringing from the impact. He hoped that he hadn't broken any bones, because he definitely heard some crunching—no pain, though. The waterfall must have been very close because he could hear it just a couple of hills away. Groaning, he took deep breaths before gathering his thoughts, trying to get a sense of where he was. He ran his hand along the smooth surface that he landed on, and gasped. Skin.

Oh shit. He didn't land on Renard, did he?

He sat up, the world closing in, and opened his eyes to his surroundings. His jaw dropped and his arms twitched. His breathing halted. Spine turned to ice.

Bodies.

Thirty. Forty. Fifty? All thrown into a pile. A flesh quarry at the bottom of the creek—petrified faces staring blankly into the sky, limbs protruding up in the air. The stench, by god, the stench. Men, women, and children. Slaves, all of whom were tossed like garbage into the nether-realm of the forest. The flies buzzed furiously about, invading eyeballs and gaping mouths, feeding. The pond up ahead was practically made of blood. Connor felt his breakfast rising up from his gut.

He puked on the body next to him. As tears welled up from retching, his eyes gawked upon a deceased woman's contorted face, her throat slit open, left to bleed like a pig.

His skin crawled as he sat on the pile of dead bodies that broke his fall.

"Hey!" a feminine voice shouted from above.

It was Ellie.

"Down here!" Connor beckoned. He glanced left and right for his cousin.

Renard was unconscious, lying face up next to him with leaves on his face, still breathing. A growling sound echoed from the scarlet pond ahead of him, jolting his senses awake. He spotted a few crouching figures far up in front, where the body pile started. They were…feasting?

One of them raised its head, which had been split open by invading fungi.

Oh god. Clicker.

Connor quickly scrambled for his backpack, taking it off. The clicker sensed the sounds he'd been making and made its way towards him, but stumbled upon the bodies. The other figure was a runner, equally stupid but with better eyesight. He had to make his move because they were closing in fast.

"Connor!" Ellie screamed, sliding down the hill behind him, safely. She saw the bodies and nearly froze in place.

The clicker shrieked and began sprinting over the bodies, crushing bones as it stampeded towards them at full speed. He found his pistol and loaded the clip. It was cutting the distance. He took aim and squeezed the trigger. Nothing. The safety was on.

"Shit."

Ellie gathered herself, taking off her backpack and grasping for her pistol. The clicker leapt over the next few bodies and instantly closed the gap between them. It was too late. The creature towered over Connor, its hands ready to clench his skin and tear him to shreds. Ellie's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to let out a scream.

_BANG!_

In that instant, the clicker's head split open, shreds of skin and blood falling on Connor's face. From far away, he could see a figure aiming his rifle in their direction.

Carlton. Holy shit.

Connor got up and clicked the safety on his weapon, taking aim at the runners who had been startled. From the trees surrounding them came other infected who answered the gunshot. There were at least seven or eight.

"Get your gun!" he told Ellie.

She loaded her pistol. "Ready!"

Carlton slid down the hill from the opposite side and took aim at the encroaching monsters, emptying his magazine one-by-one, not missing a shot. Connor and Ellie fended them off with their pistols, clipping limbs, kneecaps, and a few headshots. The struggle seemed to last forever. Minutes felt like hours as adrenaline and cortisol flushed their systems. After awhile, the shrieks and screams stopped. The last gunshot exploded and blew a runner's head open, right through the eye.

He was deaf by now. Connor looked at Ellie, who had done a much better job of holding her own than he thought. She returned an acknowledging nod, and looked down at his cousin.

"We need to move him," she said.

They dragged him out of the pile of bodies and onto a dry rock next to the water. No words. The moment was still sinking in, and before he could predict, Ellie was vomiting next to a tree. Carlton walked up to them, radio in hand.

"Miller," he called, his face strained in disbelief. "Joel? It's Carlton, over."

"Yeah. Did you find them?" Joel's voice huffed over the radio.

Carlton nodded. "Roger that. Ellie's safe. So are the boys."

He guessed that the team leader announced their absence some time ago.

"We heard gunshots. What happened?" Tommy's voice came on.

"We…uh…we found the rest of the survivors," Carlton answered. He looked at the remnants of the slaves, their bodies not more than a day old. "You're going to wanna see this."

"Send us the coordinates and we'll be on our way. Stay put."

He closed off the radio and hobbled off with wracked nerves. Looked like he was just as affected by this as they were.

Connor sat on the rock next to his cousin, who hadn't regained consciousness yet. He placed a hand on his forehead. A quiet apology. A thought came to him upon gazing at the body pit while he waited for Joel and the others. It flushed back all of his memories of home, the ultimate culmination of a community spent searching for truth.

This must have been what hell looked like. His past had finally caught up to him.

* * *

**A/N - **Take a breath. Real slow. You hear that? That's the sound of me typing up the next chapter. The story hasn't even begun yet.

Please leave a review! I'm dying to hear your comments.


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